In contrast, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is mandating that composite wood panels (used in a multitude of furniture products and consumer goods) be certified to eventually have 0.05 ppm of this same, naturally-occurring compound. A combination of bureaucratic hubris, regulatory power-grabs, poor science, and interstate commerce regulations endangers billions of dollars in revenue and countless jobs in California and other states in an already weakened economy.

I submit the real hazard to California’s citizens is CARB.

The new friend is Jeff Lassle. He is a former director of a forest products company that is 135-years old and reeling from forced compliance with draconian requirements under the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules for formaldehyde.

“Businessmen and women are afraid to complain, because they are afraid they are going to be targeted for regulatory retribution,” said Lassle. “These rules killed my job, the jobs of hundreds of Californians, and the livelihood of thousands of American in other states – because, according to the interstate commerce clauses, manufacturers who make items for California must meet our state’s guidelines.”

Lassle put this act perspective: “American sports industries account for $16 billion in income annually. Its furniture and forestry products businesses account for $350 billion per year for the state (and approximately $2 trillion, when considering the national industries). Why doesn’t this type of real industry, that provides great jobs with reliable income, qualify for similar waivers and exemptions?”

Formaldehyde is a simple chemical made of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. It occurs naturally and is made within our bodies. The typical human produces 1-1/2 oz. of it every day (and you can have 2 ppm in your bloodstream at any moment). Plants and animals also produce formaldehyde; and is present in the air. The average oak tree, for instance, emits 0.009 parts per million (ppm) of formaldehyde (think of it as less that 1 cent contained in $ 1 million – and that will give you a sense of the scale). The compound is also in many fruits and vegetables; it is a byproduct of cooking some vegetables and meats (e.g., brussel sprouts, cabbage, and a tasty sirloin steak).

This chemical breaks down quickly and is metabolized to simple carbon dioxide. Our bodies readily break down the low levels to which we are exposed everyday.

Formaldehyde does present specific health hazards (e.g., it is “known to the State of California to cause cancer“, and can cause allergic properties); however, these hazards are not pertinent to the already low levels found in wood products (especially when they are coated or painted). Furthermore, the concentrations that CARB mandates to be permitted in composite panels for furniture products are net set on hard data – just the desire to be the lowest level on the globe.

Lassle offers the following overview on formaldehyde limits currently used and accepted:

• The U.S. HUD Manufactured Housing Standard is 0.20 ppm of formaldehyde (equivalent to 20 cents in $1 million).
• European standards for composite board are set to be 0.1 ppm (equivalent to 10 cents in $1 million).
• By June of this year, the California forest products industry will have to ensure any item sold here has 0.08 ppm (equivalent 8 cents per $1 million) in Phase I of compliance with the new CARB standards
• By June of 2010 after Phase II is complete, the forest products industry produced items must be certified to have less than 0.05 ppm (equivalent 5 cents per $1 million).

Lassle notes that the furniture industry lags these rules by 12 months.

“The only reason CARB set levels this low is to have the most stringent standard in the world. These levels are at the limits of analytical detection. This is nonsense, and will contribute to California economic failures.”

[I would like to note that one of the CARB officials say “there is no safe level for formaldehyde”, citing its cancer-causing status. As mentioned above, our bodies produce safe levels of formaldehyde daily. Additionally, a study conducted by three separate groups determined that the CARB over-estimated the risk of cancer from formaldehyde up to 36,000 times. A review of these studies can be found HERE.

The ignorant CARB statement also belies that it is a general rule of occupational safety in industrial settings (i.e. laboratory) to reduce all exposures to carcinogens to lowest possible levels. Furthermore, the human body is designed to handle regular exposures to toxins found in foods and nature regularly. In fact, Californians routinely voluntarily consume carcinogenic ethyl alcohol in wines often; most wine imbibers do not develop cancer, and it is thought its consumption is beneficial! Utilizing the language of industrial hygiene for fear-mongering and bureaucratic empowerment is disgusting.

As additional background, the actual potential of formaldehyde to cause nasal cancer is questionable. The American Cancer Society reports that 50, yes only 50, cases of nasal cancer are diagnosed yearly in the United States. The causes of nasal cancer are chiefly related to genetics, the HPV virus and smoking and according to the Center for Disease Control, Formaldehyde has never been directly linked to even one case of cancer to date.]

To place the significance of this “safety enhancement” in perspective, Lassle noted that a professional toxicologist (Dr. F.J. Murray, DABT of Stanford University) estimated that the extra protection provided by CARB’s punitive formaldehyde levels would protect 0.16 person per 38 million over a 70 year time. In summary, CARB’s gutting a multi-billion dollar industry critical to our state’s economy will theoretically save….1 foot on 1 person in the entire state’s 38 million population each 70 years.

Wayne Nunnally, purchasing and sales manager of Peterman Lumber Inc. in Fontana, said the new regulation, effective Jan. 1, 2009, doesn’t give hundreds of businesses enough time to sell off existing stock. The wood must be certified where it is manufactured, and so far, certified wood has not arrived from overseas mills.

Although the current products might meet the new standard, they won’t have the necessary certification to be sold in California, Nunnally said.

“We are in favor of reducing air pollution, but we want to make it so we don’t get killed,” he said. “We might have to dump it and lose money because of the inventory.”
Lassle details the current unrest in the furniture and forestry products industry: “Many people can survive a year or two without profits. However, the new CARB rules pertaining to permission will extend the losses, especially in this economy. Businesses will close, and this will prolong our state’s weak economy.”

At the present time, CARB does not appear to be receptive based on the scientific and economic counter-arguments offered by environmental professionals and experienced businesspeople. Furthermore, other state and countries are poised to benefit from our state’s ill considered regulations impact on California itself; an example follows:

Ernie Montano, vice president of a La Mirada importing company, has surveyed a sampling of California importers and has estimated that there is nearly $200 million worth of noncompliant materials in warehouses and lumberyards.

Montano, of Del Valle, Kahman & Co. Inc., said he is already getting calls from wood suppliers based in Mexico and Arizona offering to buy his inventory at prices about half what his company paid for the wood.

Sadly, the only profits that CARB seems interested in is their own. Failure to meet the draconian certification requirements can lead to fines of $10,000 per day, and in special situations $70,000 a day and 1 year of jail time. Additionally, the CARB salary levels are ASTONISHING! Specific details and analysis are HERE; a snippet is below:

Californians should be very concerned. Imagine going into a Target to by a coffee table, only to find none available or priced at levels far higher than in neighboring states. With no sales, employees from a wide range of industries will become jobless.

Like this:

Related

12 Responses

The issue is not the amount of formaldehyde that is off gassing. The real issue is the concentration in air that people are breathing.

Studies show decreased lung function at 30 ppb, asthma at 60 ppb and that most adults get sick at 100 ppb. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessments reduced their 8-hour exposure level from 27 ppb to 7 ppb in late 2008.

Look at the CDC data investigating the Chinese drywall. They measure formaldehyde at 79 to 400+ ppb and said this is typical of new homes.

Houston, we have a problem.

In the 1990’s Cal-EPA indicates 14 ppb was the typical formaldehyde concentration. CA Energy Commission in a 2008 study indicates the typical formaldehyde concentration increased to 29 ppb for homes built in 2003. Now the CDC indicates homes built in 2006+ are over 100 ppb. The 100+ ppb for typical homes built in 2008-09 in the Bay Area has also been verified.

The real issue that nobody is willing to acknowledge is that we have sealed homes up tight to save energy. This has drastically reduced dillution of pollutants. The result is people are getting sick from living in their homes. We did the same thing in the late 1970’s in commercial buildings. Commerical building are required to exchange the air every hour. Homes currently change their air only once every 7 hours.

We are creating our own problems and to date refuse to acknowledge it even tough the data is there.

Have to agree with Rich’s point that everybody wants a house sealed tight! Why? Because heating a home in the winter was so expensive last year thanks to our death grip on releasing natural gas we have in abundance. So with using less energy to heat, we store more emissions that we breathe while home.
Hoboe’s have lots of holes in clothes, shoes, and box cars so we don’t suffer the problems of heating or breathing dangerous chemicals.
California should be fined for air pollution by burning up thousands of acres every year due to lousy forest management. We know to expect fires every year wtih no forestry management.

Let’s not change the ppm to ppb just to show a higher number, that is a scare tactic not worthy of your answer. CARB is not about ambient air containing formaldehyde on the outside but CARB is regulating indoor ambient air or gassing off of the formaldehyde.

Rich, what contains formaldehyde, your clothes, nail polish, carpet, exhaust from the car you drive, cooking at home, c’mon Rich formaldehyde is a natural compound. Your statement that CAL EPA 1990’s .014 ppm and today is .029 ppm and since industry has by themselves lowered the emission on their own to appease people like you how could this possibly be. From your data of 29 ppb, doing some math here, the actual ppm would be .029 or less than CARB’s current rules of .05 ppm on Phase II. 1 ppm is generally considered the point that humans can detect by smelling formaldehyde, how is this affecting you.

Rich, I believe you are over reacting to a non issue. On new material, yes air it out and let the off gassing to occur, but these low amounts haven’t harmed anyone and the asthma issue, well many things are blamed to cause asthma today including eating peanuts and other foods.

To take the advice from the OEHHA and their brand of science is just not relevant to discussion as they tend only to reveal science that supports their thesis, which is not the scientific process Rich.

If you are so concerned about this natural compound, do these things. Sell your car and walk from now on, don’t buy any permanent press clothing, don’t cook at home, don’t buy any new carpet, and for god’s sake, if you have a wife, keep her out of the nail salons.

Rich, for honesty, all scientific measurements on this issue is done in ppm (parts per million). Changing it to ppb is not relevant other than to show me that you are an activist with an agenda to scare people by using larger numbers.

Rich, I suppose you should take out your granite counter tops in your house also due to the radon exposure and lung cancer. My advice don’t believe everything you hear from the State of California and the first jury in New Orleans on the FEMA trailer issue did just that, did not listen to the hype about nothing.

Rich, did some checking on your facts. I suggest you go back and re look at your entire premise as everything you have said is not even close to the truth.

quote: Studies show decreased lung function at 30 ppb, asthma at 60 ppb and that most adults get sick at 100 ppb. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessments reduced their 8-hour exposure level from 27 ppb to 7 ppb in late 2008

30 ppb Rich is .030 ppm or less than half of the new regulation by CARB and is approaching a significant error of statistics. This is a fraction of what the body produces naturally. Your posting is nothing but radicalism. Are you one of the people making 85k to 150k at the CARB and therefore the reason you are fighting for your job and future?

[…] It is time to stop this nonsense. It is time for California to elect a Governor who is one of the people. Someone who will represent the people and not the special interests. Someone who will oppose environmentalists who devalue human life. Someone who will bring our jobs back, our farms back, and our freedoms back. In 2010 California will say good-by and good riddance to the Terminator. This time he won’t be back. […]

[…] wood panel products (the details on CARB's hideous rules based on junk science are detailed HERE: The REAL Hazard to CA Citizens, Formaldehyde or CARB?. Jeff notes: I am not aware of anyone whom ever got CARB to cave in like this, but could be the […]

[…] of impacted industries and the people reliant on them, with the potential for economic collapse.Click HERE for CARB info. * Arrogant proponents of man-made global warming, who continue to argue that the science is […]

[…] unemployed”. She is the cause of much of the unemployment in California stemming way back to the formaldehyde issue I faced and thousands of others in this state as well as the diesel rule under the guise of the […]

[…] Formaldehyde does present specific health hazards (e.g., it is “known to the State of California to cause cancer“, and can cause allergic properties); however, these hazards are not pertinent to the already low levels found in wood products (especially when they are coated or painted). Furthermore, the concentrations that CARB mandates to be permitted in composite panels for furniture products are not set on hard data – just the desire to be the lowest level on the globe. (More can be found HERE). […]

Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4
year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.”
She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab
inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants
to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!

Having read this I thought it was really enlightening.
I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this content together.
I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments.
But so what, it was still worthwhile!